Our build thread, renovation and extension
Discussion
Barclays aren't being much help with it either, they have sought to worm their way out of it, by saying that as the invoice name is different to the finance party name none of the consumer protection regulations apply. Effectively they are saying that they have no contractual relationship with Wren at all, so whether they supply a kitchen or not, they want paying regardless.
We spent ages with brick acid and a pressure washer tidying up the brickwork yesterday, it is still yet to dry fully but it looks much better.
Fence capping on and bolts cut down
Side fence knocked up
Front doorstep done
The plan for the front garden is something like this:
A slightly raised bed with sleepers on edge in a curve like this:
The rest is just filled in with gravel, unless anyone has a better suggestion? I am also wondering whether a membrane is required under 180mm of crushed concrete, as under than depth of properly compacted material I can't see much growing through?
We spent ages with brick acid and a pressure washer tidying up the brickwork yesterday, it is still yet to dry fully but it looks much better.
Fence capping on and bolts cut down
Side fence knocked up
Front doorstep done
The plan for the front garden is something like this:
A slightly raised bed with sleepers on edge in a curve like this:
The rest is just filled in with gravel, unless anyone has a better suggestion? I am also wondering whether a membrane is required under 180mm of crushed concrete, as under than depth of properly compacted material I can't see much growing through?
Edited by Muncher on Sunday 2nd November 16:33
apologies if this has been asked before,
who is responsible for the dropped kerb and pavement? I'm guessing you are leaving it to the end of your project before addressing it?
In todays world of ambulance chasers I'm surprised it's been left like that. If my trees overhang onto the public footpath, or obscure the light from a streetlamp I get a letter off the local council pretty sharpish.
great thread btw, one of my faves on PH.
who is responsible for the dropped kerb and pavement? I'm guessing you are leaving it to the end of your project before addressing it?
In todays world of ambulance chasers I'm surprised it's been left like that. If my trees overhang onto the public footpath, or obscure the light from a streetlamp I get a letter off the local council pretty sharpish.
great thread btw, one of my faves on PH.
Drive Blind said:
apologies if this has been asked before,
who is responsible for the dropped kerb and pavement? I'm guessing you are leaving it to the end of your project before addressing it?
In todays world of ambulance chasers I'm surprised it's been left like that. If my trees overhang onto the public footpath, or obscure the light from a streetlamp I get a letter off the local council pretty sharpish.
great thread btw, one of my faves on PH.
Thanks who is responsible for the dropped kerb and pavement? I'm guessing you are leaving it to the end of your project before addressing it?
In todays world of ambulance chasers I'm surprised it's been left like that. If my trees overhang onto the public footpath, or obscure the light from a streetlamp I get a letter off the local council pretty sharpish.
great thread btw, one of my faves on PH.
It is down to me to repair it, eventually, but it won't be done until the garage is built and no more heavy lorries need to go over it. The council have been out numerous times to patch it and look at it but have been quite sensible in that they said there's no point in replacing it properly until all works have been completed.
Muncher said:
Barclays aren't being much help with it either, they have sought to worm their way out of it, by saying that as the invoice name is different to the finance party name none of the consumer protection regulations apply. Effectively they are saying that they have no contractual relationship with Wren at all, so whether they supply a kitchen or not, they want paying regardless.
You're a lawyer. Surely you can argue around intent. Anyway, a long time since I commented on this thread, but thought I'd pop back to say it's looking fantastic. Love the illuminated coving and the penny floor.
Some of the Facebook ones don't any more, not sure how I can resolve that. If people are interested I might put a gallery together with pretty much all the photos I have in chronological order? There are thousands...
The outside and garage are on hold for te moment whilst I wait to see what is happening with my next project but hopefully I will get to push that forwards next summer. The kitchen lights are actually quite simple in the end, just trimless Zep2s, 4 integrated lights in the cooker hood and a special Swedish light which is on order at the moment.
Plinth lights and under unit lights just weren't needed when it was done and wouldn't have added anything to it. The above island ceiling lip was wired for LED string but as soon as we put some up there it was obvious it wouldn't work. It is so close to the ceiling that it casts shadows over every little defect in the ceiling plastering and paint. We had assumed it was pretty flawless after living with it for 6 months and painting it a few times but the really acute angle of the light makes it look horrendous. However, the same effect in the dining room about another 200mm away from the ceiling looks great.
As for controls we just have a regular 4 gang switch, after debacles with Lightwave I am glad we didn't go with them, dimming or fancy controls just aren't needed.
The outside and garage are on hold for te moment whilst I wait to see what is happening with my next project but hopefully I will get to push that forwards next summer. The kitchen lights are actually quite simple in the end, just trimless Zep2s, 4 integrated lights in the cooker hood and a special Swedish light which is on order at the moment.
Plinth lights and under unit lights just weren't needed when it was done and wouldn't have added anything to it. The above island ceiling lip was wired for LED string but as soon as we put some up there it was obvious it wouldn't work. It is so close to the ceiling that it casts shadows over every little defect in the ceiling plastering and paint. We had assumed it was pretty flawless after living with it for 6 months and painting it a few times but the really acute angle of the light makes it look horrendous. However, the same effect in the dining room about another 200mm away from the ceiling looks great.
As for controls we just have a regular 4 gang switch, after debacles with Lightwave I am glad we didn't go with them, dimming or fancy controls just aren't needed.
My fiance wants to get her bike back (it's sitting in my parents bike shed) but I have been telling her its not coming in the house, it can go in the garage when the garage is built. The problem is I'm not exactly sure when the garage is going to go up, at the earliest it is likely to be next summer.
As an alternative I need to press on with turning the area down the side of the house into a bike shed of sorts. The space is dead space and will only ever be used for storage, the question is whether it is practical to turn it into an enclosed area, or shed type affair. In total it is about 8m long and 1.4m wide at the widest point. If you take finished ground level to be the level where the fence is at the front, there is 1.9m to the fence level but there are 3 windows on either side that are only 1.4m from ground level.
The question is whether it is possible to have any kind of roofed or lean to type structure in there at all? I don't really want to fix anything to either wall if possible and I also don't want to create any drainage or damp issues here. Failing that I might just need to put something in there to secure a bike and accept it's going to get wet.
As an alternative I need to press on with turning the area down the side of the house into a bike shed of sorts. The space is dead space and will only ever be used for storage, the question is whether it is practical to turn it into an enclosed area, or shed type affair. In total it is about 8m long and 1.4m wide at the widest point. If you take finished ground level to be the level where the fence is at the front, there is 1.9m to the fence level but there are 3 windows on either side that are only 1.4m from ground level.
The question is whether it is possible to have any kind of roofed or lean to type structure in there at all? I don't really want to fix anything to either wall if possible and I also don't want to create any drainage or damp issues here. Failing that I might just need to put something in there to secure a bike and accept it's going to get wet.
Would have been easier to have sorted something for that annoying little space at the time I suppose, but I'd just get the bike back, chain it up or whatever and then get a bike cover and put that over it - as long as you keep the worst of the bad weather off, it'll be fine. Bit of an oiling in April/May or whatever and it's job done.
By way of update on the Wren kitchen saga, Tesco Bank only bothered to get thinks moving once a complaint with the FOS was raised.
Wren delivered another load of drawer fronts on Friday, 2 weeks after they had promised them. First signs are not good, there are only 3 large drawer front boxes instead of 4. Second signs aren't any better, the finish on the handles is slightly improved but still not as good as the rest of the kitchen. Third signs even worse, opened up the next box and picked the first one out, big deep white scratch across the handle.
I've now given them 14 days to resolve it or I will issue proceedings.
Wren delivered another load of drawer fronts on Friday, 2 weeks after they had promised them. First signs are not good, there are only 3 large drawer front boxes instead of 4. Second signs aren't any better, the finish on the handles is slightly improved but still not as good as the rest of the kitchen. Third signs even worse, opened up the next box and picked the first one out, big deep white scratch across the handle.
I've now given them 14 days to resolve it or I will issue proceedings.
We have finally sorted some glass for the bathroom taptile and we danish pendant for the kitchen island has finally arrived so I am hoping to get all of those down at the weekend.
Have been sidetracked with other projects lately but I'm looking to get a crusher in during the next couple of weeks to crush all the brick rubble and get the raised bed in the front garden sorted.
I am torn between sleepers as pictured here:
Which will cost about £630
Or using posts reclaimed telegraph poles like this:
Which will cost about 480 and be much easier to go round corners.
Any thoughts? The bed will only be about 400mm high.
Have been sidetracked with other projects lately but I'm looking to get a crusher in during the next couple of weeks to crush all the brick rubble and get the raised bed in the front garden sorted.
I am torn between sleepers as pictured here:
Which will cost about £630
Or using posts reclaimed telegraph poles like this:
Which will cost about 480 and be much easier to go round corners.
Any thoughts? The bed will only be about 400mm high.
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